Happy Birthday
by seaofhopes
Summary: It's Sam's birthday and she's not looking forward to celebrating. During her last birthday she was stuck in rehab. This year she just wants to spend the day alone beneath the covers of her bed. But she gets an unexpected surprise when a friend pays her a visit.
1. Happy Birthday

_Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you…_

Samantha felt suspended in a fairytale. Dylan's arms were wrapped around her waist as he hummed the birthday song in her ear. He wasn't a very good singer, but his horrible attempt to hit the high notes made Sam smile at him lovingly. She was wearing her favorite black silk dress and a gold medallion engraved with the letter D hung from her neck. The flame of the candles seemed to danced in time with the rhythm of the song.

It was just the two of them. The room was pitch black except for the various pillar candles that had been lit prior to Sam's arrival to the restaurant. "Make a wish, beautiful." Dylan whispered the words against her neck and watched her bite down on her lips as she attempted to focus on the task at hand. "Remember you only get _one_."

"I don't know what to wish for." Samantha shook her head repeatedly before looking up at him. For the first time in a long time she had everything she needed. "I don't need anything. I already have you."

 _Happy birthday Sam…Sam…Sam?_

Dylan's words came in and out of focus. The distorted sounds made the young actress' head spin. She was drowning in the memory. All her senses were intoxicated by the image of that night. It was the last birthday she'd spent believing in the idea of love. Her last birthday had been celebrated within the confines of the rehab center's cafeteria. There were no candles, or dimly lit restaurants, or even cake for that matter. All she got was a small cupcake with a plastic ring on it that read _Happy Birthday_.

Samantha forced herself out of the dream. It took all the energy she could muster to pry her eyes open. Looking up at the ceiling she counted the twirls of the fan the spun overhead. Her fingertips trailed up and down the stitches of the cotton comforter. If she squinted her eyes she could pretend that she was back in her childhood home. But this wasn't that home. The safety of that childhood place could never be reproduced, no matter how hard she tried.

"Happy birthday to me…happy birthday to me…" She whispered the words to herself. No song, no rhythm. Just a tone deaf girl accompanied by silence. The words serving as a reminder that she was another year older and _maybe_ a little bit wiser.

A stream of knocks on the bedroom door pulled her attention away from the whirring fan. Her right hand immediately sunk beneath the pillow in search for her cellphone. _What time is it?_ Pressing down on the phone her eyes were greeted with a blinding brightness. **6:15 A.M.** There was an annoying jiggling of the doorknob, a demand that she open the door.

"Just a minute!" Sam sat up slowly and slid her tired frame towards the edge of the bed to retrieve her silk robe. Sliding her arms into the openings she made her way to the door. Her fingers wrapped around the knob but her body wasn't ready to deal with Syd's enthusiasm. The blond haired woman _always_ came bearing gifts: champagne, white chocolate, off-pitch singing, and overpriced flowers.

Samantha banged her head against the door a few times before taking a deep breath and parting the door slightly. It was wide enough for her to peak her head out, but not enough for Syd to barge her way into the bedroom. "Syd I'm really not in the mood today."

"I'm not Syd." The private investigator looked at the woman's sleepy gaze and couldn't help but smile. "Happy birthday Samantha Swift." Eddie didn't wait for permission to come inside. After all the times the petite brunette had barged into his home at three in the morning it was only fair that he return the favor.

"And hello to you too?" Samantha tightened the robe around her waist. O _h god, is my hair a mess?_ The fact that her mind immediately drifted to presentability caught the girl completely off guard. There was no reason for her to care about what she looked like. This man was her friend, nothing more. "Umm…what is that?" Sam pointed towards the small rectangular cake Eddie had set down on her nightstand.

"It's a cake." Eddie gave his partner a puzzled look. "Please tell me you've had cake before."

"Of course I've had cake before." She watched as Eddie reached into his back pocket and pulled out a pack of multi-colored candles. "I just meant why did you come to my _house_ with a cake."

"Because it's your birthday? I feel like we're going in a circle here." He began counting below his breath as he stuck the candles around the perimeter of the cake, making sure not to disturb the pink frosting that spelled out _Happy Birthday Sam_. Once he'd counted to 23 he stopped and looked over his shoulder. "I think we'll just call it 25." If he'd learned anything after years of friendship with Chris, it was that you never ask a woman her age.

"How 18th century of you." The actress rolled her eyes at him and snatched the candles from Eddie's hand. "Yeah, I'm 25 plus 4 more." A small smile formed across her lips as she stuck a few more candles into the cake. Her eyes danced across the pastry, admiring every single inch of the cake. She loved how blatantly obvious it was that Eddie didn't know her favorite color. In order to make up for his lack of knowledge he'd made sure that there were several flowers piped in every color of the rainbow. "It's beautiful." Samantha extender her arms out in his direction and wrapped them tightly around his neck. "Thank you for this."

"Anytime." He returned the embrace, wrapping his arms around her waist. Sam's robe felt cold against the palms of his hands as he pressed the young woman closer to his frame. "Now it's time for you to make a wish." Pulling away from her hold Eddie craned down and began lighting the candles.

"Umm…" Shaking her head she tried to come up with something, anything that she wished for the coming year. On a normal day Sam could list off a hundred things she wished she had, yet in that moment her mind was blank. Filling her lungs with air she bent down and hovered directly over the cake. _Don't waste a wish._ Ever since she was a child, Sam had wholeheartedly believed in the power of a birthday wish. During her time in rehab Samantha had wished for a friend and a few months later she'd met Eddie. The man with a rough exterior had become one of her closest friends and allies. On occasion she would go as far as to call him part of her _family_. "Aren't you supposed to sing _before_ I blow the candles out?" Sam tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled at her friend. "Go on, start singing."

Eddie shook his head, "I'm not singing."

" _You_ barged into my house with cake. Which means that _you_ owe _me_ a birthday song. Come on, it's tradition." Samantha ran a finger across the orange flame and tried to contain the immense happiness that coursed through her body. It had been a very long time since she'd felt this unconcerned about the future. A part of her wished she could live within this moment for the rest of her life. "You better hurry, the candles are melting all over the cake."

Eddie continued looking at her for several moments before finally giving in. "Fine." He gave her a playful look before breaking out into song. "Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Samantha, happy birthday to you."

Sam clapped for the both of them. For him because he had a _surprisingly_ good singing voice and for her because life seemed to be getting a little brighter. Taking another deep breath she leaned into the cake and blew out the candles. _I wish for many more birthday's with the people I love._


	2. Birthday Dinner

"Why exactly am I wearing this?" Eddie fiddled with the black skinny tie before throwing his arms down in frustration.

"Because it's Samantha's birthday and you love her." Syd cocked her head to the side and took in her former lover. So much had changed in such little time. When she looked at him now he was far different from the man she'd once known. He was softer. More easy going.

"I don't love her." Eddie stated matter-of-factly. Grabbing the tie from one end he slid it off his neck in one swift motion.

"Fine, you _admire_ her? _Adore_ her? Feel an immense attraction toward her? Stop me when I've found the right word." She tried to hold back her laugh as she watched the man fidget with his suit.

"Shut up." Eddie threw the tie onto Syd's paisley comforter and unbuttoned his jacket. He began to slide his arms out of the confines of the uncomfortable suit when Syd walked to him and hit his back. A signal that a dinner jacket was a requirement, _not_ a suggestion.

"Come here." The blond beauty twirled her fingers, motioning for him to spin around and face her. "I'll fix this." Eddie towered over Syd. Even in heels the private investigator was still four inches taller than her. "We're going to Nobu for Sam's birthday. I got us a table overlooking the ocean." Her fingers popped-up Eddie's collar and slid the tie around his neck once more. "And I know how much you hate sushi, but it's Sam's favorite so you're just going to have to suck it up."

"I never said I _hate_ sushi." He watched her hands work on his tie. It was almost mesmerizing the ease with which she looped the tie and made a perfect knot.

"On our second date you spit it out into your napkin." Syd patted Eddie's shoulders and gave him a warm smile. "I must say, you clean up nice."

"Thanks." In that moment Eddie felt oddly safe within the walls of Syd's bedroom. So, he did something out of character for him. He decided to ask his former girlfriend for her opinion on something that meant a lot to him. Usually, this was reserved for Sam, but she wasn't there and he wanted this to be a surprise. "I uh- I got Sam something. I'm not sure she'll like it." He rubbed the back of his head with a cupped palm and slid out a small cube box from the pocket of his trousers. He didn't bother opening it, instead he placed the present in Syd's hand.

"What did you get her?" Pinching her thumb and index finger against the velvet material of the box she heard it pop as the piece of jewelry came into view. It glimmered beneath the lights. "Eddie, this is beautiful. She's going to love it."

* * *

Sam couldn't contain her excitement. _This is the best birthday ever!_ It wasn't an overstatement. _This_ was definitely one of her best birthdays, top ten at least. The brunette beauty couldn't have imagined the day getting any better. Having Eddie show up at her house and barge into her room with a cake in hand was utterly amazing. They'd sat on her terrace, bare feet crisscrossed against the cold cement. A slice of cake in one hand and a cold ginger ale in the other. He'd played with her hair and she'd asked him if he was ever going to get back on the board. He promised her he would, _one day_. And she'd told him he was her best friend.

He hadn't been startled by her confession. Instead he'd smiled in return almost an admission that she was his best friend as well. The morning could not have been better and now this dinner that Syd had organized was the cherry on top of a perfect day.

"My name is Samantha Swift. My friend Sydney made reservations." Sam tapped her fingers against the podium and waited for the man to find her dinner party in the reservation book.

"Ah, yes. Samantha Swift, party of seven. Right this way." The head waiter guided her through the restaurant. Her ears were bombarded with the sounds of silverware clanking against white china and the laughter of guests enjoying themselves.

"Thanks." Sam stopped walking once they'd reached the terrace. Their table overlooked the beach and the sun was just beginning to set. The sky was melting into hues of orange, pink and purple. Her friends were scampering around, setting gifts one one table and fixing the floral arrangements that Syd had _obviously_ been in charge of. "You guys look so beautiful!"

Everyone was dressed in their best attire. Berto's hair was slicked back into a tight ponytail and he was wearing patent leather dress shoes. She had no idea he owned shoes like those. Her gaze shifted to Monica. The tall woman wore a a black body con dress and her raven tresses were pin straight and slipped into a half-up style. And then there was Eddie. He was hiding behind the beaming hostess like a child clinging onto his mother on his first day of kindergarten. "Everything looks amazing. It's perfect. Just perfect!"

" _You_ look amazing!" Syd made her way over to her client and pulled her into a tight hug. "Happy Birthday sweetheart."

"This by far is one of my top 5 birthdays." Samantha pressed her friend closer and didn't end the embrace until she noticed Eddie finally making his way over. "Thank you for organizing all of this."

"Of course." The blonde woman watched as the male-female duo stood inches away from each other in complete silence. "I'll start ordering the first course." She removed herself from the situation, hoping that some privacy would inspire either of them to actually speak.

But they didn't. They remained standing inches away from each other and it felt like a million years before either of them spoke.

"You clean up nice." Samantha decided to be the first to break the tension. It was hard to figure out why he was so guarded with her. Maybe their morning had been too much for him. Her uncensored personality might have been off putting. "I'm glad all of you guys came."

Eddie opened his mouth to say something but no words came out. _Why am I nervous?_ He could feel the palms of his hands getting clammy. It was strange. He was around this woman on a daily basis. And in that moment, he felt a million knots forming in his stomach. Since words seemed to allude him he decided to wrap his right arm around her waist and lay his forehead against her shoulder. She was his best friend, the only person he shared _everything_ with. "You look beautiful"

Hearing him speak allowed the actress to breath once more. "You don't look half bad either." Her hands melted into his neck, her fingernails dancing across his nape. "I'm glad you're here." It took every ounce of strength for her to _not_ kiss him. It would be so easy. She was sure he wouldn't stop her. All she had to do was place her cheek against his and he would get the message that she wanted him closer.

"Alright you too. Foods on its way. Lets take our seats and open some presents!" Syd waved everyone to the table and began assigning them their seats.

"We should probably head on over." Sam wanted to hold his hand. She wanted him to guide her back to the table, but she knew it would be too much physical connection. Instead, she strode to the rest of her guests alone. Her best friend only few steps behind her.

"Happy birthday Sam!" The voice came from behind, the cadence was familiar but the actress had a hard time pinpointing who it belonged to.

Almost like he was reading her thoughts Eddie turned to face the voice and find where it was coming from. A big smile formed across his lips as he saw his friend saunter towards them. "Chris? What are you doing here?"

"Sam's agent invited me." Chris was donning something fancy for the first time since forever. Her hips were hugged by the tight material of the red bondage-style skirt. The exposure of her mile long legs were toned down by the grey v-neck top. Giving the police officer an effortless "cool-girl" vibe. "Is it alright that I came?"

"Of course it's alright. It's _more_ than alright." Sam extended her arms out towards the woman and pulled her into a hug. This was the first time she'd ever hugged Chris. Neither of them knew what to do. The woman didn't return the embrace, but she didn't pull away either. "Thanks for coming."

"Guys! The foods here, sit down."

"I'm coming, _mom_." Sydney always hated it when Sam called her that, but it seemed fitting. She was the only person that'd ever taken care of her. During her acting jobs she made sure Sam had enough to eat, went on a 30 minute walk, had clean clothes, and a fully stocked fridge. She was also the only person that checked on her while in rehab. "We should probably go sit down before Syd gets pissed."

"Right." Eddie slipped his fingers between Sam's hand without even realizing it. The motion almost instinctive. He began guided her to the table unaware that both Sam _and_ Chris were caught off guard by his actions.

Sam looked down at the table. The flames of the votive candles glittered against the glass vases that held white roses. Pulling a rose from the vase she pressed it onto her nose. "These are my favorite." Biting down on her lip she stretched her right arm across the table motioning for Syd to hug her. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." Syd waved her hands in a downward motion. "Now everyone sit."

Sam nodded her head and felt Eddie slide behind her. His hands gripped the chair and a slow pull could be felt against her knees. Squatting down she allowed her partner to push in her dining chair. "Thanks." Before Monica had a chance to sit next to her, the private investigator unbuttoned his jacket and sat beside the actress. His hands brushed away a few strands that were glued against her shoulder.

 _You're beautiful. How can you be this beautiful?_ All he wanted to do was touch her. After the morning they'd had he felt like they were closer. How could he be close to her if he couldn't act on all the urges coursing through his body. He wanted to hold her hand, kiss her neck, kiss her lips. He wanted to melt his fingers into her hair.

"The foods here." Sam's soft smile and grip against his shoulder pulled the man out of his stream of thoughts. "Ah, it's my favorite!"

The waiter placed a lobster shiitake salad with spicy lemon dressing on the golden charger in front of Samantha. Gliding over to the man next to her, the young girl placed a yellowtail sashimi with jalapeño on his plate. Once everyone was served the sparkling water began being poured into wine glasses. "Everything looks so good!" Sam admired the food on everyone's plates and had to fight the urge to steal some. Looking to her right it was obvious that her partner didn't share her sentiment. His eyebrows were furrowed deeply and his fork clanged against the plate. He lifted the fish with the tip of his knife before allowing it to plop back down into the sauce. "Do you want to switch plates?" Sam offered her food, much like a mother concerned that her child wouldn't meet their daily quota of calories ingested.

"No, it's fine. It looks delicious."

Sam wasn't convinced. "Here take mine." She picked up both plates and switched them around. "It's really good, I promise."

Her smile forced Eddie to at least take a bite of the food. He picked up his fork and stabbed it into a piece of mushroom and shrimp. Inspecting the contents on the utensil he closed his eyes and took a bite. "You were right, it's not terrible."

"Not terrible? It's _wonderful!_ " Sam shook her head in amusement and dug her fork into her fish. Taking a bite of the food she began to bob her head side to side in enjoyment. "Today's been amazing." Picking up her glass of water she made a quick _cheers_ motion before taking a long swig.

Seeing the joy that radiated from Sam's frame made Eddie feel that this was as good a time as any. Standing up slightly he slid the lapis blue box from his trouser pocket. "I got you something." He placed the box a few inches from her fingers before holding his breath in anticipation.

The last time a man had given her a jewelry box it had contained an engagement ring inside. Samantha could hear the thumps of her heart within her ears.

Sensing the anxiety coursing through her body, Eddie decided to fill the space with some lightness. "Don't worry, I'm not asking you to marry me _._ "

A hoarse smile escaped her lips, but she still couldn't breathe. Opening the small box her eyes were surprised to see a small gold medallion, similar to the one Dylan had given her years ago. Inscribed in the circular pendant were the numbers 03.13.17. That was the day she'd checked into the rehab. It was the beginning of her new life. "This…I…I love it." She wanted to cry. The sentiment behind the gift caught the actress off guard. "It's wonderful." She knew Eddie cared about her, but this went above and beyond anything she could have imagined. Who knew he could be so loving. It was a part of him he reserved for when she was in danger it very seldom seeped into their daily life.

"Happy Birthday Samantha Swift." What he really wanted to say was _I love you,_ but those words were far too strong to be uttered just yet.

"I'm glad I got to spend this day with you." Sam loved him. It was something that had evolved slowly over time, but she was sure that what she felt was love.


End file.
